Starbucks May Become Your Angry Birds Stomping Ground

[The Wooster]

Starbucks May Become Your Angry Birds Stomping Ground

Starbucks is considering adding Angry Birds high score tables to its outlets, turning your local coffee shop into some kind of horrifying bird-chucking Thunderdome.

According to the Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/sep/21/angry-birds-starbucks], the ubiquitous caffeine-pimping chain is in talks with Angry Birds developer Rovio regarding the addition of the electronic leaderboards. Leadboards they're hoping will drag in competitive gamers as well as traditional sugary coffee addicts.

The idea seems like a modern take on the arcades of yore. Players who clock up high scores while playing Angry Birds in a Starbucks store (or "around a Starbucks store" considering the chain's lax WiFi security) will earn a place on the electronic leaderboard. A position that will demand the respect and admiration of their fellow Angry Birds fanatics. At least until someone comes along and outperforms them, that is. While the potential for competitive gaming, even on a very casual level, in a popular chain store is exciting, the potential for entertaining fisticuffs involving scalding hot beverages is even more so.

Rovio has already tested the scheme in outlets of US book retailer Barnes and Noble, and apparently it was quite the success. Nearly 10,000 people spent more than half an hour each playing Angry Birds - presumably instead of buying books. Considering Starbucks' clientele, their well known fondness for iDevices and how compelling the aroma of a caramel macchiato can be, that half hour could be used to shift a lot of drinks.

"It's tying in the real world with the virtual world," said Rovio's Wibe Wagemans. "Retailers get new customers who've not been to their stores yet, and repeat customers."

Starbucks has made no official announcements regarding Rovio or Angry Birds as of yet.

Source: The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/sep/21/angry-birds-starbucks]

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[The Wooster]

This could really move Starbucks up in the pecking order, not that Starbucks needs the help.

Get the flock out of here with your fowl avian puns.

 

[omicron1]

Hmm.. the potential for other games to flock together is alluring. Starcraft in Starbucks, anyone?

That said, unless this concept can demonstrate that it isn't just some fly-by-night phenomenon, it will be but the symbolic feather in Rovio's cap, methinks.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Fowl jokes are for the birds.

At this point, I feel like the only person in the world who hasn't played Angry Birds.
Hmm. Wonder if I can set a new record like I did with "Longest time ever before being Rickrolled".

(And now someone is thinking about Rickrolling this thread just to get to me. Don't bother. Someone else beat you to it.)

 

[I-Protest-I]

Pretty sure I just read competitive gamers in there, don't make me slap a *****.

 

[Fensfield]

Incapable of bird puns though I may be..

In a way this sounds awesome. I mean, okay, its Starbucks of all things, unfortunately, but anything that sounds like a flickering hint of a revival of arcade culture..

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I'd love a revival of arcade culture but it would be better for me if it included games I play.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

This could really move Starbucks up in the pecking order, not that Starbucks needs the help.

Get the flock out of here with your fowl avian puns.

No need to be soar I just have a talon for it.

Well, it's certainly bought the feather brains out, let's prey there's not more poultry puns.

Does remind me a bit of the old pinball tables though...in fact, the whole thing seems like a slip back to the pachinko tables of old.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

Seems like an interesting idea...i've got another idea that might add to the experience. Why not put computers in there and let people rent some time on them...they could call it an internet coffee

 

[Lethos]

This could really move Starbucks up in the pecking order, not that Starbucks needs the help.

You could say they are robin customers.

...Okay that one was forced.

 

[enzilewulf]

Well the gamers will be migrating to Starbucks.....

 

[Ice Car]

More Angry Birds stuff? I'm really getting sick of the new sub-culture that's forming around it. The game isn't even new in the way it plays, there have been too many games formed around the same idea.

I really don't give a hoot about it whatsoever. All the publicity for this game is most unpheasant. -shot-

 

[SemiHumanTarget]

Oh Starbucks, when will you learn. Your desperate attempts to stay relevant are exactly what is driving you down. Your late middle age executives are always a day late trying to take advantage of whatever is "hip" at the time, and your constant compromises to draw in new customers not only fail, but alienate your most loyal patrons who used to come in because Starbucks actually cared about coffee once upon a time.

I guess you could say that Starbucks is kind of just WINGING it these days. Get it? No? KRAAAAWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jezzascmezza]

I reckon there is going to be an average of one spillage a day on those electronic devices per store.
Liquids+Electronics+liquids near electronics may not be a good thing...

 

[teqrevisited]

No kind of "gaming" experience is going to get me to pay £2 for a coffee. I don't even like coffee.

 

[Terminate421]

Though intended for more casual players, this should be done with other games too. It would make games a bit more....recognizable or at least appreciated, or even bird-watched.

Though, Rovio sometimes (not very often) makes me wonder if they are milking or just trying to make money, I can tell this is an idea for the future of games, rather than just there to make more money.

 

[Stall]

That's a pretty neat idea. Angry Birds is short enough to where you can get in a round or two while waiting for your coffee. It's OBVIOUSLY not meant for gamers. It's just meant for bored people to waste some time while waiting for, and perhaps, drinking their coffee.